Access to decent housing to make Mumbai global city: Fadnavis

Access to decent housing will make Mumbai a global city, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis, who was speaking at the Mumbai 2.0 event here, said the world's largest slum redevelopment project of Dharavi was on fast track and actual work would commence in the next two to three months.

"Mumbai is not just a financial and commercial capital of the country, it is a multi-brand. Mumbai is also a start-up capital. But if we have to make the megapolis a global city, then it is necessary to have access to decent housing and not just infrastructure," he said.

Fadnavis said the Development Plan (DP) of 2034 was all inclusive and is focused at not just creating sustainable infrastructure but also mass affordable housing.

"One of the plans we have is Dharavi redevelopment. The project, which was stalled for over 20 years, has now picked up and we are hopeful that in the next two to three months actual work on it will begin. I believe this will be the world's largest redevelopment project," he said.

"Mumbai, on the other hand, started losing out on infrastructure to cities like Delhi. However, now we are taking measures to adopt a more sustainable and planned development," he said.

He added that DP 2034, Navi Mumbai area development among others were steps in that direction.

On the efforts taken for rehabilitation of project affected people (PAPs), he said, "Now we have decided to make housing for all the encroachments in the National Park. In the coming years, entire park will be 100 per cent encroachment free so that it becomes a habitat for animals."